Posts tagged Brunch

My baby shot me down: BangBang Cafe, Surry Hills

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BangBang Cafe, Surry Hills. Sydney Food Blog Review

Fried chicken, $13.90: Bang Bang Cafe, Surry Hills. Sydney Food Blog Review

Slap me between two buns and call me a patty – it really does seem like Sydney’s burger craze isn’t going to blow over any time soon. From The cult favourite Burgers by Josh, to the down and dirrrty Mister Gee’s Burger Truck, to Warren Turnbull’s Chur Burger (do you even Chur, bro?), Sydney is absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to all the salty, cheesy, meaty, pickly fantasies that you can slap between two fluffy halves of a burger bun.

So when BangBang Cafe reeled me in with the promise of burgers, well…did you really expect me to say no?

Double Banger, $16.90: Bang Bang Cafe, Surry Hills. Sydney Food Blog Review

The Order:

Double Banger, $16.90
Double wagyu pattie, double cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and bangbang sauce

Fried chicken, $13.90
Buttermilk fried chicken, sriracha cabbage slaw, lettuce, tomato and sour cream

The Stack, $16.90
Potato rosti topped with wilted spinach, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce and pancetta

The Food:

With burgers, bigger is always better, but sadly, I might not be woman enough for it.

Double Banger, $16.90: Bang Bang Cafe, Surry Hills. Sydney Food Blog ReviewDouble Banger, $16.90

The Double Banger is a hulking stack of wagyu, bacon, lettuce, cheese, tomato and BangBang sauce. The patties were cooked to medium, the cheese oozing, and the sauce tangy – everything that I look for in a burger.

Fried chicken, $13.90: Bang Bang Cafe, Surry Hills. Sydney Food Blog ReviewFried chicken, $13.90

Maybe I’m a purist (that’s my excuse, anyway) but I don’t think I’ve met a fried chicken burger that I actually like. Not that it stops me from trying! This particular burger – called Fried Chicken, obvs XD – was decent enough with moist chicken, light sauce and a fresh slaw, but really I didn’t feel any chemistry with it.

Because eating a burger should be like dating – if you ain’t completely satisfied, just move on.

The Stack, $16.90: Bang Bang Cafe, Surry Hills. Sydney Food Blog ReviewThe Stack, $16.90

But the surprise of the morning for me? The Stack. This take on eggs florentine (poached eggs, hollandaise and spinach) supercharged the already luxurious breakfast classic with the addition of rosti and crispy pancetta. Because potato and bacon makes everything better. AND you can still claim that it’s a healthy breakfast! Because spinach.

Seriously though. That hollandaise? Rich, buttery and the stuff of dreams. YAAAASSSS.

Food: 1/1

The Service:

Its always a bit tricky commenting on service when I’m invited as a guest of the cafe, but from what I can see from the other diners, waters were filled, tables were bussed and service staff actually knew the menus and specials off the top of their heads (it’s less common than you’d think). There was a definite passion about the place – recommendations were made personally and thoughtfully, and they actually sounded like they enjoyed eating there themselves.

Quite impressive.

Service: 1/1

Value for money:

Given the portion sizes and that BangBang is in Surry Hills, paying $16.90 for a burger is still fairly reasonable. Of course, not quite easy on the wallet if you’re on a budget, but something that you’d happily treat yourself to on the weekend without having to save for months. Not too hot, not too cold…like goldilocks.

Value for money: 0.5/1

The Vibe:

Bang Bang Cafe, Surry Hills. Sydney Food Blog Review

BangBang has a really nice, chilled vibe going on. And not like a hipster “I look like I’m chilled buy really I’m not” type of chill, but a relaxed, personal feel that’s reinforced by the service. The only thing that prevented it from being a complete package for me was that the personality didn’t quite come through in the decor – most likely because they were still in the process of changing things up in the decor department.

Good, but not quite an experience yet.

Vibe: 0.5/1

And finally,

It’s very impressive that Matt – BangBang’s owner of 11 months at only 24 years old(!) – has such a clear vision of what he wants, and enough experience in both back and front of house to execute it. It’s not often that someone so young has such carry through, and he (and his team) has my utmost respect for it.

Can’t wait to see how BangBang is going to evolve. ??

Bonus points: 1/1

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of BangBang Cafe.
BangBang Cafe
113 Reservoir St
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Phone:+61 2 9281 0018
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Bangbang-Cafe-260790390627103/

Bangbang Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

A very important date: The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea Bar

Best in Sydney Review
The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea Bar, Redfern. Sydney Food Blog Review

The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea Bar, Redfern. Sydney Food Blog Review

Even when I was too young to fully understand it, Alice in Wonderland has been one of my favourite Disney classics. And yes, I know that it’s…uncouth of me to talk about the movie and not the book, but I’ve always been partial to a happy song. You know that. 😉

So when The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea Bar popped up on my “to eat” radar, I just knew I had to make it down there quickly, as if the white rabbit was tapping on his pocket watch impatiently. Cause the only thing I love better than a good schtick, is a theme that is expertly and sophisticatedly carried out.


The Order:

Ginger Snap Latte $5.50
Ginger, cinnamon and honeybush.

Turkish delight, $5
Rose and cacao combo

Tea marbled egg (topped toast) with kimchi, kale and black sesame, $16

Rainbow trout salad with potatoes, leaves, radish, beetroot and salsa verde, $18

Ginger and chocolate cake, $8


The Food:

Okay, full disclosure here: I was actually expecting the food to be fairly crap. I mean, generally, finding a cafe that hits up a fun theme, serves up well executed and presented food, with good service? It’s like discovering a damn unicorn.

It’s THAT rare.

Tea marbled egg (topped toast) with kimchi, kale and black sesame, $16: The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea Bar, Redfern. Sydney Food Blog ReviewTea marbled egg (topped toast) with kimchi, kale and black sesame, $16

So you can just imagine my excitement when I found out that the food, was actually pretty awesome. I loved the subtle inclusion of tea in certain dishes, like the Tea Marbled Egg with Kimchi, Kale and Black Sesame, $16. Tea marbled egg isn’t a new thing, by any means – the Chinese have had a similar idea for aaaggeeesss – but I felt like I found a kindred spirit here. Especially when I found out that the egg was marinated in the smoky Lapsang Suchong tea, like how I love to do them at home!

What kept it from being perfect, though, was the subtleness of the tea getting overpowered by the riot of spice and tang from the kimchi, and the grey ring of death that indicates an overcooked yoke.

Small thing, I know, but it’s a really basic quality that I’ve come to expect from otherwise good cafes like this one, and it really ruins the impeccable illusion.

Rainbow trout salad with potatoes, leaves, radish, beetroot and salsa verde, $18: The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea Bar, Redfern. Sydney Food Blog ReviewRainbow trout salad with potatoes, leaves, radish, beetroot and salsa verde, $18

The Rainbow Trout Salad, $18, was also a delight, with oily, luxurious flakes of hot smoked tuna generously flaked through halves of boiled chat potato, fresh slices of radish and sweet beetroot, and green salad leaves. Okay, so they’re not pulling Devon-level creativity with this one, but for something that was executed with finesse AND satisfying?

I REGRET NOTHING.

Ginger and chocolate cake, $8: The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea Bar, Redfern. Sydney Food Blog ReviewGinger and chocolate cake, $8

But my favourite part of the whole meal, was the Ginger and Chocolate Cake, $8. A gargantuan slice of chocolate and ganache layered cake is topped with freeze dried berries, edible flowers and glace ginger gives you a mouthful so rich it’ll turn your teeth black. And I’ve never been so happy to look like I’ve got the oral hygiene of Captain Jack Sparrow. The cake itself toed the precarious line of being rich without being doughy, and the ganache was buttery, without leaving an oily film in your mouth. The ginger pieces just gave it a necessary zing to balance it all out, and float you slowly up to cake heaven. SAH GOOD.

Did I mention that they bake all of the sweet treats in-house? Impressed, I am.

On the tea front, the Ginger Snap Latte was my favourite: the aroma of cinnamon and Christmas surrounding me as soon as it hit the table. Also not as sweet as I thought it would be, so I felt like I was a real adult drinking it. The Turkish Delight wasn’t quite, well, conventional as I was expecting it to be – the cacao nibs provided a strange savoury note, and the rose petals didn’t come across as strongly as you would expect from a Turkish Delight. A bit of a shame: it wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t the Turkish Delight that I wanted.

Food: 1/1


The Service:

The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea Bar doesn’t really provide table service. You take note of your table number, and then pop up to the counter to order and pay. The food does get served to you, but this pared-back system means that it leaves weak spots in the experience. For example, the table that we were at took so long to be cleared that we ended up moving the dirty plates and cups to a recently-vacated table ourselves. When it came to the food, we were missing the cake (I thought that they were just taking a while to bring it out) until I went up to the counter to ask about it. Not the best on a quiet afternoon.

However, they were otherwise extremely pleasant to speak to, and showed an intimate knowledge of the food when I wanted to know more about the menu. The mixup with the cake was gracefully sorted – a quick apology and the slice came swiftly out, complete with two forks (they remembered that we were sharing!).

Service: 0.5/1


Value for money:

At first glance, it would be easy to label The Rabbit Hole as ‘overpriced’ – $16 for a hard boiled egg with pickles and toast? Amirite? – BUT when you consider the classy surroundings, inner-west location, passionate staff, and thoughtful menu…I’d say it’s well within reason for what they’re asking.

Value for money: 0.5/1


The Vibe:

GUYS. IT’S AN ALICE IN WONDERLAND THEMED CAFE.

…seriously, though. It’s executed with such sophistication that I felt both like a child AND an adult coming here! From the rabbit tail coffee cups, to the tarnished gold cutlery, to the playing cards that double as table numbers, this is a place that knows its identity, and expresses it with more class and anointed with a hint of whimsy.

If Alice was the cafe type, I’m sure she’d come here too.

Vibe: 1/1


And finally,

The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea Bar definitely runs on the strength of its ensemble, rather than one particular schtick. The food didn’t hit the same creative concept as, say, Edition Coffee Roasters, and the surroundings didn’t transport you in the same way as the Alice in Wonderland high tea that I went to at The Waiting Room, but it does present a sanctuary from everyday life, albeit one with a foot still firmly in reality.

Definitely somewhere I’d pop by again if I were in the area, but I wouldn’t make a special trip out otherwise.

Bonus points: 1/1

This meal was independently paid for.
The Rabbit Hold Organic Tea Bar
146 Abercrombie St
Redfern NSW 2016
Phone: +61 2 9310 2207
Website: https://www.therabbithole.com.au

The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Stuffed Pancake Cake Recipe

Food Recipe 4 Comments
Stuffed Pancake Recipe. Lazy way to make a cake!

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and the shops are filled with all sorts of cakes and sweets that you can buy to impress your significant other. Well sometimes a girl can get too darned lazy to bake and assemble a cake, so what do you do? Enter the Stuffed Pancake Cake.

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Instagram Eats: Harry’s, Bondi

Review
Sydney Food Blog Review of Harry's, Bondi.

Harry's, Bondi: Sydney Food Blog Review.

“Where shall we go to eat?” Such a small question, such huge responsibility. After all, what’s the criteria for picking a place where you exchange your hard-earned money for sustenance, and hopefully an experience to go with it.

Well, in the case of Harry’s, the criteria was: Instagram. Yes, we’ve come to that. I’d seen my Instagram feed flooded with pictures from this bustling Bondi cafe, and I thought it was high time to see what all the fuss was about.

The Order:

Pulled pork roll, fried egg with coffee bacon jam with added sweet potato fries with kasoundi, $20

Quinoa and feta fritters, fattoush, avocado, labna and hazelnut dukkah with added poached egg, $22.5

Apple cider cured trout, soft egg, avocado, fennel, zucchini and grapefruit, $20.50

Green Tea, $4 per serve

The Food:

Well, Instagram got one thing right: Harry’s sure does serve up a pretty plate of food. Colours were vibrant, and the entire plate just screamed “fresh” and “seasonal”.

Apple cider cured trout, soft egg, avocado, fennel, zucchini and grapefruit, $20.50. Harry's, Bondi: Sydney Food Blog Review.Apple cider cured trout, soft egg, avocado, fennel, zucchini and grapefruit, $20.50

Flavour-wise, they got it mostly right. The Apple Cider Cured Trout was a work of art by itself, and the fennel, avocado and grapefruit combination gave the dish a lot of dimension. Depending on how much grapefruit you chose to have in any bite, it could get a touch overpowering, but otherwise, it was spot on.

Pulled pork roll, fried egg with coffee bacon jam with added sweet potato fries with kasoundi, $20. Harry's, Bondi: Sydney Food Blog Review.Pulled pork roll, fried egg with coffee bacon jam with added sweet potato fries with kasoundi, $20

The Pulled Pork Roll with fried egg and coffee bacon jam was a breakfast burger of my dreams, if my dreams were made of pulled pork and soft buttery buns. Which you know they are. The pork was unctuous and succulent – avoiding all the squeakiness that can come with choosing too lean a cut of pork. The egg added richness, and the coffee bacon jam added depth. Together, they sang in perfect harmony, and I was just the lucky person drinking eating it all in.

The sweet potato fries were the icing on the cake, with a small dish of Kasoundi, an Indian tomato relish that just kept me coming back for more. And that’s not even considering that the sweet potato fries were one of the crispiest I’ve ever had. ??

Quinoa and feta fritters, fattoush, avocado, labna and hazelnut dukkah with added poached egg, $22.5. Harry's, Bondi: Sydney Food Blog Review.Quinoa and feta fritters, fattoush, avocado, labna and hazelnut dukkah with added poached egg, $22.5

But with the ups come the downs, and the Quinoa and Feta Fritters didn’t quite work for me. A large part of it, I’m sure, comes from the fact that I quite dislike raw capsicum, but the fritters themselves ate fairly dry, and the other elements (crispy pita, pomegranate seeds, labna, avocado) didn’t come together to create a cohesive masterpiece like the other dishes. All the bits and bobs stood aloofly apart, kind of like if strangers come together for the first time and try to form a band. Potential is there, but it requires a bit of work to hit it.

The Service:

Our waitress was friendly and perky, and had an easy charm that made small mistakes – forgetting share plates that we asked for, mixing up our order and needing to come back to confirm – easy to overlook. Being a pleasant human being does go a long way: everyone makes mistakes once in a while, and being nice just inspires a lot of patience and, well, chill.

Value for money:

I went in with the assumption that I was going to over order – I always do – by choosing three dishes to share between two females. Turns out, while the portions were certainly not measly, we polished off all three plates fairly easily. And at about $35 a head, I kinda expected to be absolutely stuffed.

I guess it still falls in the realm of reasonable, though. It IS Bondi, after all.

The Vibe:

It’s hard to fault outdoor seating with the sound of waves crashing in the not-too-far distance. The music was boppy, and played at a volume where it filled the silence, but still allowed us to easily chat over our food. Stained wood and hexagonal tiles gave it a trendy feel, and the regular clientele simply exuded “cool” in their beachwear and towels.

Very chill, and very relaxed.

And finally,

I’m not sure that I would make the trek out just to go to Harry’s (I’m really not a beach person at the best of times), but I wouldn’t mind stopping by if I was in the area. Their sweet menu items (ricotta pancakes? Yaaaasss) look very promising, and there’s a selection of cake/tart things that’s simply calling my name. I like how relaxing it is, and perhaps it was the fact that I went on a weekday, but it spared me the claustrophobic crowds of similar cafes in Surry Hills.

Go if you fancy a lazy afternoon in a cafe by the beach, or if you’re after a satisfying breakfast. Or pulled pork burger.

Now that is a must-try.

This meal was independently paid for.
Harry’s
Shop 2, 136 Wairoa Avenue
Bondi Beach, NSW
Phone: +61 2 9130 2180
Website: www.harrysbondi.com.au/

Harry's Bondi Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Devon on Danks, Waterloo

Review
Devon on Danks, Waterloo. Sydney Food Blog Review

Devon on Danks, Waterloo. Sydney Food Blog Review

I’ve been very lucky to have very good friends in my life. Friends who will brunch with you, and support you when you go,

“Hmmmm. Do you think we should order one of everything?”

Okay, so it’s not quite that extreme. But Christine did help me with my gluttony by coming with Alli and me to Devon on Danks – the younger sister of the cafe-award-winning Devon Cafe in Surry Hills.

Because she’s a good friend, that’s why.

Now I’ve had a bit of a mixed experience with Devon. My first experience wasn’t that great, but then the second was much better. Maybe third time’s the charm?

A photo posted by Tammi Kwok (@teafortammi) on

Mmmmmm all the fish eggs.

Well that Salmon Blini isn’t quite available anymore, and a lot of stuff has changed since. Between the three of us, we ordered the Bruschetta with extra soft egg ($17), Brunching with the Sakuma’s ($27), Annato Spiced Fried Chicken Fillet ($7), Kaya Cronnie ($7), and a DD Special ($12). Okay, so I was exaggerating when I said with ordered one of everything, but we weren’t too far off!

Bruschetta, $17: Devon on Danks, Waterloo. Sydney Food Blog ReviewBruschetta, $17

Bruschetta ($17) first, because it was as close as we were going to get to our 5-a-day in this brunch. Homemade burrata melted onto balsamic chargrilled sourdough gets topped with basil, and confit tomatoes and basil. Very luscious, full of flavour, but curiously lacking the creamy naughtiness that a bursting ball of burrata gives you. A great bruschetta, but WHERE MY BURRATA?!!

Oh, but I really recommend paying the extra $3 to order the soft egg. Not only does it give you great egg porn, but the yolk also soaks into the toast, giving you a squidgy, rich bite.

And besides, the soft whites look like it could’ve been a ball of burrata, so um, we can pretend.

Brunching with the Sakuma's, $27: Devon on Danks, Waterloo. Sydney Food Blog ReviewBrunching with the Sakuma’s, $27

Then the dish that has caused a whole ton of debate in my circles – Brunching with the Sakumas ($27). The first incarnation, Breakfast with the Sakumas, had a smoked eel croquette, kewpie mayo, furikake (a Japanese savoury sprinkle that you usually have on rice) and a 63C egg. The salmon at the time, for me, was incredibly dry and overcooked, and for the new-hot-cafe-on-the-block, it just felt like an unacceptable thing.

I’m happy to report that this time, they’ve really upped their game. The roasted salmon is served in a thick piece, rather than a long, thin fillet, and this allows the inside to retain a silky softness, while giving you some serious crunch in the skin. Top points!

It also comes with potato noodles, clam and miso butter, onsen egg, and furikake. And you might be tempted to think that the potato noodles are made of potato starch, like other asian noodles? Nope. It’s spiralised potatoes, which should make the zucchini spaghetti lovers happy. It retained a slight crunch that polarised the table – and by that, I mean that I was the only one who liked it – but I think it provided a great body to otherwise soft textures on the plate.

Good show, Devon on Danks, good show. *slow claps*

Annato Spiced chicken fillet, $7: Devon on Danks, Waterloo. Sydney Food Blog ReviewAnnato Spiced chicken fillet, $7

Christine had already tried The Manny P Burger, so instead of going to whole hog, we order just Annato Spiced Fried Chicken Fillet ($7), with a side of their chilli mayo. Annato refers to a red spice, often used as food colouring in some Spanish cultures, that comes from the seeds of the achiote tree.

But besides a bright orange colour, I’m not sure how much flavour has come across. The chicken didn’t taste unlike typical fried chicken, and not particularly moreish in itself.

Annato spiced chicken fillet, $7: Devon on Danks, Waterloo. Sydney Food Blog Review

Dat chilli mayo, tho. Tangy, salty, creamy…all the qualities you want in a good condiment. If this chilli mayo was on Tinder, I’d swipe right in a heartbeat, and then proceed to stalk it on social media. Trust me when I say that YOU NEED THIS IN YOUR LIFE.

Kaya Cronnie, $7: Devon on Danks, Waterloo. Sydney Food Blog Review Kaya Cronnie, $7

On the sweet side, we got the Kaya Cronut Cronnie ($7). Whoever said that round shapes doesn’t fit in square things was lying. LYING. Deep fried croissant pastry gets pumped full of kaya, which hails from my side of the world: South East Asia.

To call it coconut jam would really be too simple. Think of it like…like Coconut Dulce De Leche, made with coconut cream, egg yolks, and a shit ton of sugar.

Which could bother some people, but you’ve just ordered deep fried pastry. I don’t think the sugar matters.

DD Special, $12: Devon on Danks, Waterloo. Sydney Food Blog ReviewDD Special, $12

Ah, this next one’s for the true connoisseur. Soft serve and salty chips are one of life’s great pleasures, and Devon on Danks has made a blue pea flower and jasmine soft serve for their DD Special ($12) this week. Blue pea flower is used in very traditional Peranakan desserts to add a sky blue tint, but it doesn’t have a lot of flavour, which is where the palate cleansing jasmine comes in.

Legit.

The staff at Devon on Danks have a much more relaxed vibe than the original, probably because the cafe itself has a chill vibe to it, assisted by wonderfully lit wide open spaces, beautiful decor, and beautiful wood and enamel-coated furnishings. Price-wise, it’s um, not student friendly, but fairly doable if you’re in a large group and splitting the bill. And you know, if you’ve got some savings. The food is well executed, and the seasonal menu means that the chefs are ever improving, which can only mean good things.

This meal was independently paid for.
Devon on Danks
2 Danks St
Waterloo NSW 2017
Phone:+61 2 9698 7795
Website: http://www.devoncafe.com.au

Devon on Danks Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Cafe Culture: Hardware Societe, Melbourne CBD

Melbourne Review Travel 2 Comments
Sydney Food Blog Review of Hardware Society, Melbourne

Sydney Food Blog Review of Hardware Society, Melbourne: Lobster Benedict, $25

I’ve never been into the whole “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” thing. Heresy, I know. It’s just never worked for me, and forcing myself to eat when I’m not ready is never a cute look.

But for certain breakfasts, I’m more than happy to make an exception. And if Hardware Societe is going to put the words ‘lobster’ and ‘benedict’ in the same sentence, well, now they’re just twisting my arm.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Hardware Society, Melbourne: Lobster Benedict, $25Lobster Benedict, $25

And what a glorious breakfast the Lobster Benedict was. Chunks of perfectly cooked lobster sit on buttery brioche, and form a luxurious bed for oozy poached eggs and a cozy blanket of hollandaise. It’s like every luxurious ‘treat’ ingredient came together and decided to have a beautiful magic baby. I had to stop myself from finishing ALL of the brioche, because I ordered a second breakfast.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Hardware Society, Melbourne: Steak Tartare, $25Steak Tartare, $25

Yes, you heard me right. For someone who doesn’t do breakfasts, I ordered TWO. I never do things by halves. The Steak Tartare was indeed lovely – with finely chopped beef flavoured with a capsicum based romesco sauce rather than the usual mustard/caper/shallot mix. Good, but not as good as the benedict, and so faded into oblivion, a.k.a the recesses of my memory.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Hardware Society, Melbourne: Matcha Latte, $4.50Matcha Latte, $4.50

Besides the photogenic food, the drinks are also beautiful to behold. The barista even has a super cool instagram account dedicated to latte art! How the f**k did that swan get in there?? HOW IS THIS BLACK MAGIC POSSIBLE?!

Sydney Food Blog Review of Hardware Society, Melbourne: French Toast

And just as a kicker, I also took a photo of the food on the table beside me. I’ve no idea what this is or how
it tastes, but it sure looked pretty!

I just absolutely fell in love with the relaxed atmosphere at Hardware Societe. I didn’t feel judged at ALL for ordering two breakfasts, in fact other than a small moment of embarassment on my part when the server said, “are BOTH of these for you?”, I felt right at home with the hilarious, warm staff and people who let me photograph their food.

A must-go when I next go back to Melbourne. Breakfast has never been so cool.

This meal was independently paid for.
The Hardware Societe
118-120 Hardware Street
CBD Melbourne, VIC
Phone: 03 9078 5992

The Hardware Société Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Danno’s, Dee Why

Review
Sydney Food Blog Review of Danno's, Dee Why

Sydney Food Blog Review of Danno's, Dee Why: Heirloom Tomato and Beetroot Salad

So here’s the goss: Danno’s used to be THE place to go to for burgers. Hulking, juicy, thick, saucy burgers. These burgers were made by Burger Josh – yes, a man so devoted to his craft that burgers have just become his identity – and they were truly a work of art to behold.

Then one day, Burger Josh and Danno’s decided that they didn’t love each other anymore and part ways. And the diners, like me, were left inbetween feeling like the product of a broken home. After all, who’s side do you pick when mommy and daddy break up?

Better still, what do you do when mommy finds another man to replace daddy. WHAT THEN?! ?????

Sydney Food Blog Review of Danno's, Dee Why: Organic Breakfast Trifle, Coconut Milk, Chia Seed, Mango, Yoghurt, Mixed Berries, $16Organic Breakfast Trifle, Coconut Milk, Chia Seed, Mango, Yoghurt, Mixed Berries, $16

Thinly veiled analogies aside, Danno’s is back with a new menu and a new chef, ready to reclaim (or retain?) the love of the dining public. The new menu is created by Chef Ashraf Saleh, who brings with him middle eastern influences and years of restaurant experience.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Danno's, Dee Why: Egyptian Poached Eggs, Bastourma, Za'atar, Kale, Sweet Potato Croquet, $17Egyptian Poached Eggs, Bastourma, Za’atar, Kale, Sweet Potato Croquet, $17

So how does the food stack up? Well, it’s a bit like comparing apples and oranges, really. One gives pretty, upscale, cafe-type food, and the other, gritty, sexy, voluptuous burgers.

No, you’re saying it wrong. Gotta add a growl to your voice and say it again:

BUUURRRGGGGEEERRRSSSS.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Danno's, Dee Why: Heirloom Tomato and Beetroot SaladHeirloom Tomato and Beetroot Salad

Anyhoo, Danno’s new menu is indeed pretty. Very photogenic in a Covergirl ad sorta way. Not exactly edgy in terms of favour profile or culinary creativity, but that might not have been what Chef Ashraf might have been aiming for.

The Organic Breakfast Trifle, $16, was a chia pudding with a riot of fresh fruit and compote over the top. It was silky and comforting, with light, fresh notes of the summer fruits keeping it from being stodgy.

On the savoury front, Egyptian Poached Eggs, Bastourma, Za’atar, Kale, Sweet Potato Croquet, $17 was well, interesting. The individual elements on the plate – and there were many – were okay, but didn’t come together into anything remarkable. Massive amounts of beetroot and radish made it all visually stunning, but pretty only gets you so far.

But of course, you are really waiting for me to compare apples with apples. Danno’s indeed has a burger on the menu, and yes, we ate it.

EAT ALL THE FOOD.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Danno's, Dee Why: The TitanicThe Titanic

The Titanic was aptly named, because well, look at it. Here, I even have a shot of Chef Ashraf holding it, for comparison.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Danno's, Dee Why: The Titanic, with chef Ashraf Saleh

As he set down the plate, Chef Ashraf made very sure to tell us that he felt that his burger was full of flavour, and there was no need for it to be dripping with sauce. No need to be OTT, you know, gotta keep it simple.

Well, um, I dont’t really know how to put this, but it needs more sauce. *hides face behind hands* The fried chicken was flavourful enough, but not juicy enough to combat the natural dryness that is bread. And what sauce it had, mind you, had a lovely thousand-island-type tang, but I needed more. Way more.

The fries thst it came with though? A+. Hints of sumac and spice brought the humble fry to life, and I just kept picking at it, even though I should’ve stopped eating 10 minutes ago.

I think that the new menu reslly shows a lot of promise, though I kind of question putting a burger on so soon after the divorce. Salt in the wound man, salt in the wound. It might take s bit of time for the new chef and evolving menu to find their footing, but from what I’ve seen, it shouldn’t take too long for the taste of the food to match the expectation that the presentation gives.

Wasn’t there something about judging a book by its cover?

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Danno’s.
Danno’s
23 Howard Avenue
Dee Why, NSW
Phone: 02 8094 9677
Website: http://dannoscafe.com

Danno's Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Best of Brunch, SMH Good Food Month

Review
Sydney Food Blog Review of Best of Brunch, SMH Good Food Month 2015

Sydney Food Blog Review of Best of Brunch, Good Food Month 2015: Fried Chicken and Waffles, Hartsyard

The world of food is fantastically varied. You just know, KNOW, that wherever you go, someone has a specialty and it’s going to be just delicious. I mean Asia has street food, America’s got diners (amongst other things), and Australia?

Australia’s got talent brunch.

So it’s fitting that Good Food Month celebrates that with Best of Brunch, where some of Australia’s best and hipsterest come together to feed us the most important meal of the day.

You know, the one we eat after sleeping in and while nursing a hangover?

Sydney Food Blog Review of Best of Brunch, Good Food Month 2015: Poached Eggs and Kale Salad, Ruby's DinerPoached Eggs and Kale Salad, Ruby’s Diner

Ruby’s Diner was first up to bat, with a very responsible Poached Eggs and Kale Salad. Very light, very healthy, and very keeping in with the theme of the Pyrmont Growers’ Markets right round the corner. It almost felt too healthy, except the kale salad was actually quite delicious, so points for that.

And perfect to whet your appetite for the courses to come.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of SMH Good Food Month.
Ruby’s Diner
Shop1/173-179 Bronte Road
Bondi Junction, NSW
Phone: 0404 379 585
Website: www.rubys.com/

Ruby's Diner Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Sydney Food Blog Review of Best of Brunch, Good Food Month 2015: Farro and Corn, PinboneFarro and Corn, Pinbone

Pinbone (RIP) then bulks it up with Farro and Corn, which for some reason made me think of American grits. Very comforting, and so luscious that you just wanna roll around in a bed of it.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of SMH Good Food Month.
Pinbone
3 Jersey Rd
Woollahra NSW 2025
Phone: +61 2 9328 1600
Website: www.pinbone.com.au/

Pinbone Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Sydney Food Blog Review of Best of Brunch, Good Food Month 2015: Fried Chicken and Waffles, HartsyardFried Chicken and Waffles, Hartsyard

But you know what you have with grits? FRIED F**KING CHICKEN. And not just any chicken either. It was the famed Hartsyard fried chicken. And waffles. But really, we all know who’s the star here. Crispy juicy fried chicken, sweet fluffy waffles, maple syrup…this elevated the meal to a had-a-sexy-night-then-roll-out-of-bed sorta brunch. I’ve always wondered about the hype, and now I know.

Oh boy, do I know.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of SMH Good Food Month.
Hartsyard
33 Enmore Road
Enmore, Sydney, NSW
Phone: 02 8068 1473
Website: http://hartsyard.com.au

Hartsyard Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Sydney Food Blog Review of Best of Brunch, Good Food Month 2015: Apple Strudel, LuMi DiningApple Strudel, LuMi Bar and Dining

Then, it was over all too soon. LuMi Dining put forward an apple strudel, which, while it might have been a perfectly respectable strudel, wasn’t quite at the level of the fried chicken. And I’m beginning to fear that nothing will ever live up to the fried chicken, and my life will be sad.

That being said, the apple strudel isn’t quite what I’d go to LuMi for, necessarily. The rest of the menu is much better. Much.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of SMH Good Food Month.
LuMi Bar and Dining
56 Pirrama Road
Pyrmont, NSW
Phone: 02 9571 1999
Website: http://www.lumidining.com

LuMi Bar & Dining Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Sydney Food Blog Review of Best of Brunch, Good Food Month 2015: Chocolate Chip Cookie, West JulietteChocolate Chip Cookie, West Juliett

And to take home, like a cool, new-age version of the petit fours that you get at the end of fancy restaurant meals, a salted chocolate chip cookie from West Juliett. The reveal of this brought many ooh’s and aah’s at the table, even though I hadn’t really heard of West Juliett before this. I know, #foodbloggerfail.

Either way, the cookie never actually made it home. Soft chewy pieces with melty bits of chocolate all through it? YAAAASSSSSS. I absolutely demolished it. Demolished.

Milk not included.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of SMH Good Food Month.
West Juliett
30 Llewellyn Street
Marrickville, Sydney, NSW
Phone: 02 9519 0101
Website: https://www.facebook.com/westjuliettcafe

West Juliett Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

The Most Important Meal of the Day is..? Criniti’s, Woolloomoloo

Review

Sydney Food Blog Review of Criniti's, Woolloomoloo

I have something I need to admit. I, Tammi, am a breakfast skipper. Now DON’T JUDGE ME. I just never seem to wake up hungry, and I like to do all my eating in the later part of the day. And after it became acceptable to eat bacon at any time of the day, the morning meal just didn’t seem so special anymore.

But when someone offers you ribs at breakfast? Why, don’t mind if I do.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Criniti's, Woolloomoloo: Italiano, $19Italiano, $19

I’ve always associated Criniti’s with nighttime food: long ass pizzas, huge platters of pasta and antipasto, tipsy people hoeing right in…so when I got the invite to have breakfast by the water, I was absolutely intrigued.

Was the stigma of having pizza for breakfast finally going to be lifted?

Well, not quite.

They did do some massive breakfast platters, and The Italiano, $19, provided an absolute bounty salty meats in the form of bacon, prosciutto, porchetta, sausages…with some grilled tomato and crumbed eggplant, because veggies. It was quite enjoyable with chilli on the side, and if you weren’t an absolute glutton like I am, it would have been plenty for two.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Criniti's, Woolloomoloo: Rustico (3 egg Omelette), $14Rustico (3 egg Omelette), $14

The Rustico, $14, was a 3 egg omelette that is slightly less impressive. The eggs came out just a touch on the dry side, and when had next to the punchy, salty flavours of the other dishes, it fell on the flat side of bland.

Sydney Food Blog Review of Criniti's, Woolloomoloo: Uncle Cosimo, $19Uncle Cosimo, $19

But I’ve promised ribs, and ribs I will deliver. The Uncle Cosimo, $19, (which is a pretty gangsta name, I think), has fried eggs with braised pork ribs, and a tomato based sauce/stew in a cast iron pan. The pork ribs and tomato sauce were quite sweet, which totally makes me happy because I like me some sweet/savoury combos. I would have been totally happier if the eggs were baked into the tomato sauce, but hey, why nitpick?

The thing is, Criniti’s has never made themselves out to be the very height of haute cuisine. They just want to provide a decent dining experience with food that doesn’t take itself too seriously, a lovely ambience, and friendly service. And they’ve definitely achieved that.

And bonus points that the breakfasts aren’t too busy, which just makes a lazy brunch bu the water all that much better.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Criniti’s.
Criniti’s
Shop 2, 6 Cowper Wharf Road
Wooloomooloo, Sydney, NSW
Phone: 1300 274 648
Websoite: http://www.crinitis.com.au

Click to add a blog post for Criniti's on Zomato

Fine dining in the country: Emerson’s, Lovedale

Review
Review of Emerson's Cafe and Restaurant, Lovedale

Review of Emerson's Cafe and Restaurant, Lovedale

I’ve popped my girls’-weekend cherry. No, get your head of
the gutter. Not that kind of girls’ weekend. The kind that is glamourised by the Britney Spears’ classic, Crossroads – where women go on road trips together to find adventure, and themselves.

Well we may or may not have found ourselves (I’m pretty hard to miss), but you know what we found? A restaurant so good that after we went for dinner the first night, we went straight back for breakfast the next day.

Uh huh, it was that good.

The Dinner

Review of Emerson's Cafe and RestaurantPork Croquette, Sauerkraut, apple gel

As foodies with eyes larger than our stomachs, the goal was simple: try as many things as we can stomach, and try not to walk away too broke to get home. So two entrees, one main and one dessert it was.

Review of Emerson's Cafe and RestaurantMiso cured atlantic salmon, pickled cucumber, soy jelly, seaweed dusted puffed rice, fresh horseradish cream

Review of Emerson's Cafe and RestaurantVenison Carpaccio with Apple and Sourdough Crisps

Of the entrees, the Miso cured atlantic salmon was my favourite. It was a very light plate, and even though the combination of miso and soy could have ended in an oversalted disaster, I felt like it was very nicely balanced. The Venison Carpaccio was a richer dish, and also very expertly executed, but not particularly outstanding to me.

Review of Emerson's Cafe and RestaurantDuck Supreme with Duck Hash, Carrot Crisps, Carrot Puree, Peas, Orange Sauce

The Duck Supreme was a throwback to the days of yore where serving a piece of poultry supreme – a breast with the drumlet bone still attached – was in vogue. So retro, like the term “in vogue”. Geddit?

But the old school concept was brought to the present with new school techniques, and the smallest details proved to be the most impressive. And I really mean the smallest details. The light-as-air carrot crisps involve dehydrating a sheet carrot puree, and then deep frying it for that otherworldly texture. The duck itself was tender and moist, and the whole plate came together very nicely with a balance of richness from the duck and sauce, and a lightness from the pea shoots and carrot components.

Review of Emerson's Cafe and RestaurantBanana Fritter, House made nulkaba farm honey ice cream, dulce de leche

And the final crescendo in the symphony that guarantees an exit with a bang, the dessert. We chose the Banana Fritter because well, dulce de leche makes us happy. Real happy. And this dessert hit all the rich, sweet notes that it was meant to hit. The honey ice cream was the most spectacular, with a very distinctive hum of honey through an otherwise vanilla base. And so smooth it puts a baby’s bottom to shame. Creamy and silky, and presented in a perfect quenelle.

And naturally, after having our fill of dinner, we went straight to making plans for breakfast.

The Breakfast

Review of Emerson's Cafe and RestaurantLamb’s Fry with Potato Rosti, Fried Egg, Caramelised Onion, Butter Fried Toast. Wilted Spinach, Extra Bacon

I’ve always preferred savoury over sweet, and I love seeing how uncommon breakfast ingredients like Lamb’s Fry is used at the breakfast table. Lamb’s fry was not quite a thing in Singapore whilst I was growing up – a feat considering how much offal I ate – but since moving to Australia I’ve come to understand it as Lamb’s brains, that is usually crumbed and deep fried. Like a parallel universe’s version of chicken nuggets. I quite like the creamy texture of lamb’s brains, so imagine my shock and horror when liver came out instead. Grainy, tough, unforgiving liver. Turns out, Lamb’s Fry can refer to all the offal of lamb, and brain just seems to be the one that I’ve been eating. And I just don’t like liver. I keep trying, and I’ll eat it, but I don’t have nice things to say about a slab of cooked liver. #sorrynotsorry

Pate, on the other hand…

Review of Emerson's Cafe and RestaurantFluffy Pancakes, Honeycomb Butter, Bananas, Extra Bacon

Thankfully Christine’s order of Fluffy Pancakes were exactly as we expected: fluffy AF, and fried in butter, with bits of caramel honeycomb dissolved throughout. Caramelised bananas and thick slabs of bacon completed the sweet/salty combo, and we walked away happy campers.

There was only one hiccup in all of this – the bread. Such a small thing, right? For dinner, we were asked if we wanted some house-made baguette, and I thought it was a nice question since a LOT of bread can get wasted if the diner didn’t actually want to eat it. So we said yes, and turns out, it wasn’t a question of food waste, it was an order. We were presented a $7 charge for an honestly fairly dense baguette, and quite a but of confusion in between. Thankfully they very readily took it off the bill when we explained the confusion, and we were still left with an amazing enough experience to come back again the next day.

Emerson’s was a very pleasant surprise considering that I wasn’t expecting too much out of country Australia, and definitely stiff competition for the Sydney dining scene. Worth the making a special trip.

Emerson’s
Adina Vineyard
492 Lovedale Rd
Lovedale, NSW 2325
Phone: 02 4930 7029
Website: http://emersonsrestaurant.com.au

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